<p>I've read the popular literature about how the legal field (for practicing attorneys) has an "bimodal' salary distribution. Basically, the top performers/earners in the field take home ridiculous amounts of pay, and everyone else is clumped in the range of "comfortable" on down to "barely making ends meet."</p>
<p>Is it the same thing with i-bankers?</p>
<p>WHAT!? Another I-banking salary thread!? IMPOSSIBLE!</p>
<p>For junior bankers, you have anywhere from 3-5 buckets, depending on bank. On the high end, you’d have top performers that are usually paid the highest bonuses, the mid tier will get paid a solid bonus, but be quite envious of the top tier. The low end of the curve should be thankful to have a job, won’t be offered a 3rd year, and depending on the year, could be let go. Generally the mid tier holds the bulk of the analysts, with a select few making their way into the top tier.</p>
<p>1st year banking analysts all make the same salary at BBs and 2nd/3rd years make approximately the same salary if not exactly the same.</p>
<p>^not true…</p>
<p>Ya it is. GS/JPM/ML/etc. will all pay their new analysts 60K (although there is some transition to 70K now). 5-10K more each year… pretty standard.</p>
<p>total compensation will probably vary more due to bonuses, but not the base salary.</p>
<p>the OP seems to be referring to total comp, as is bankonbanking</p>